Windows App on MacOS Tahoe - cannot copy and paste files FROM Windows To MAC

Question

Windows App on MacOS Tahoe - cannot copy and paste files FROM Windows To MAC

AbdulM 20

Hello

I have a strange issue that only appeared after upgrading my Mac to MacOS 26 Tahoe.

Using Windows App 11.x I am unable to successfully copy and paste files from my remote Windows PC to my local Macbook.

When I attempt to copy and paste the file, the file "appears" on my Macbook, with the correct filename and size, but when I open the file, I get an error message that the file is corrupted. The file is actually empty, or padded with several zeroes, eg 0000 0000 0000 0000

I have tested this with almost every release of Windows App 11.0 up to the latest 11.2.9 (2810) and they all exhibit the same issue.

This problem does NOT occur on earlier MacOS versions such as v15 Sequoia or v14 Sonoma.

I thought at first it must be a Tahoe issue, so I contacted Apple Support this morning, and after eventually getting through and having a screen share session, they said it was a Microsoft issue. I replied it can’t be, because it worked in earlier MacOS versions, but the Apple support tech pushed and said it’s a Microsoft problem, because I can write to the Macbook filesystem with any other application EXCEPT Windows App.

I can copy and paste files FROM the Macbook TO my remote Windows PC with no problems.

I can copy and paste text BOTH WAYS, from Windows to Mac, and from Mac to Windows.

It's just copying files FROM Windows TO Mac that has problems.

I have a video showing ths exact issue, it’s under 9MB in size.

I also have the Windows App logfiles from when the error occurred.

If I can upload the support files, I will.

Thank you

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Answer 1

Aron 7,010 Independent Advisor

Hi, I appreciate you sharing all those details, it really helps paint the picture.

What’s happening here is tied to changes in macOS 26 Tahoe.

Apple tightened how apps handle clipboard and sandboxed file operations, and Windows App still uses an older method for transferring files via copy-paste.

That’s why the file shows up with the right name and size but ends up empty or filled with zeros.

The quickest workaround is to enable folder redirection in Windows App so you can move files through a shared folder instead of the clipboard.

Another option is using SMB file sharing between your Mac and Windows PC.

Before we go deeper, can you confirm if folder redirection is already set up in your connection settings?

Also, do you notice this issue with all file types or just certain ones?

If you’d like, I can walk you through the redirection setup step by step.

Regards,
Aron

AbdulM 20 Reputation points

2025-11-25T15:25:16.92+00:00

Hello Aron

Many thanks for your prompt and informative reply!

This problem occurs with many types of files, eg ZIP files, text documents and PNG images.

I think Folder redirection is preferable to SMB sharing for this situation. However I do not have this set up yet. Could you please provide instructions?

Thank you

Abdul
Aron 7,010 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-11-25T15:27:32.8+00:00

Hi Abdul, thanks for confirming that, it helps narrow things down.

Folder redirection is definitely the best option here since it avoids the clipboard issue.

To set it up, open Windows App and click Edit on your saved PC connection.

In the settings, go to Redirection, then check Enable folder redirection.

Click the + button and choose a local folder on your Mac, like your Desktop or Documents.

Save the changes, reconnect to your Windows PC, and you’ll see that folder appear as a drive inside your remote session.

From there, you can copy files into it, and they’ll show up on your Mac without corruption.

Once you try this, let me know, does the redirected folder appear correctly in Windows, and do the files transfer as expected?

If not, I can walk you through some extra checks.
AbdulM 20 Reputation points

2025-11-25T15:50:55.9+00:00

Thank you Aron

I confirm that Folder redirection allows me to transfer files from my remote Windows PC to my local Mac.

I have tested with PNG and JPG images, Text documents and ZIP files, and they all work successfully.

I have marked your answer as correct.

Many thanks for your assistance!

Abdul

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Windows App on MacOS Tahoe - cannot copy and paste files FROM Windows To MAC

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